


the poisoning

by Hydra_Trash_Gal



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Other, winterhawk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-06 19:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18224297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hydra_Trash_Gal/pseuds/Hydra_Trash_Gal
Summary: clint is betrayed by someone he trusts.





	the poisoning

Betrayal, Clint thinks as the poisons hits his system, hurts worse than imagined.

It’s the a good choice for agents, quieter than a gunshot, cleaner than a slit throat, less obvious than a broken neck, slower than an injection. He’s ingested it and he’s not sure which is worse — the way it creeps down his throat, offensive and vile and so painfully terrible that he knows he’s made a mistake and this is the end of him… Or the way the man he considered a friend is smiling at him. 

He knows what he’s done and shows no remorse. It was planned, the poison presented to him. Clint reflects on all he’s loved and lost. It’s not the kind of flashback he expects from watching years of cable action flicks with slideshows and mute clips of Clint looking especially bad ass. It’s just memories and sensations as he mourns he rapidly approaching demise.

He thinks about the itty bitty trailer, about the way his dad ruffled his hair and sometimes how he smacked him. He thinks about his mom’s sweet potatoes with the marshmallows on top and about how she smelled like liquor and cigarettes and peed on the couch one time. He thinks about Barney holding his hand real tight and about him, much older, holding a gun to his head saying he’d do it, fucking-a Clint, I’ll kill ya if I gotta don’t make me — 

He lunges away, a last muster of his strength. He’s on base and this enemy has filtered in, befriended him. He knocks into Skye who looks annoyed and then alarmed. “Barton?” Wilson, the man who has poisoned him, says.

“He...poisoned...me,” Clint manages to rasp.

His eyes are swimming as his body heaves without success trying to dispose of the substance inside him. The taste of his death is strange and mineral-y with a horrible after flavor of lemon. Skye grabs Wilson who reaches for him denying the crime. Clint’s knees almost buckle, the strength slipping away as his fate is accepted. He shamelessly grabs onto those around him in desperate attempts to keep upright. 

Many of them speak to him but his hearing is hollow and Clint wonders what really matters anymore. He lets a tear run down his face as he thinks of the man he loves most and how he is down in the gym — too far away to tell him that he was in his mind during his last moments. So he stumbles to Phil’s office and once the door bangs open Phil is on his feet, catching Clint as his knees hit the floor. 

He’s so well dressed. Clint has another flashback of sorts. He thinks back to Phil, so much younger (but not really, actually; Coulson didn’t age like humans did and Phil is definitely part robot) putting his hand on his shoulder during a mercenary shot saying he didn’t have to do this, you’ve got a talent Mr. Barton, please come with me.

“Clint,” Phil says sharply. “What’s wrong?”

“I need you…” his body convulses again but it cannot eject the poison. “To tell Bucky that I should’ve bought...him flowers and...held his hand. I should’ve given...him all my...hours when I...had...the...chance.”

Clint’s body convulse once more. Nothing. This is it, the end of him. No more denial or fighting just...acceptance.

“I should’ve taken...Bucky to all the parties cos… Man, Coulson, he just wanted to dance.” He cuts of with a harsh sob like cough. “If he’s gotta dance with another man tell him...tell him I say it’s okay. But not Tony, okay Phil? Stark can’t get Barnes.”

Clint begins to shudder while Phil stares down at him in confusion. “What the hell is wrong with you Barton?”

“Poison,” He wheezes. 

He hears footsteps approaching — probably medical trying to revive him. He wishes the DNR had been completed; he doesn’t want to continue suffering. 

He wishes he could understand why Wilson wanted to kill him. 

“Agent Hill,” Phil sounds alarmed. “Barton says he’s been poisoned. We need a med team here, now. I’m not certain what poison was used but it seems to have been swallowed. Seal the building down — I want this son of a bitch’s head.”

“The son of the bitch is here,” Maria says and Clint’s poisoner stands before his handler looked miffed. “You’ll be interested to know that Barton has not been poisoned. He just tried a La Croix for the first time.”

“It’s not poison?” Clint rasps from the floor. 

“No!” Sam throws his arms up. “It’s sparkling water!”

Clint feels a little less near death but the betrayal remains, worsened now he knows Sam urged him to consume something so vile. 

“It’s awful,” Clint cries. “You told me to drink it — ”

“You asked for one!”

“Yeah but you didn’t say they’re poison,” Clint hisses in return. 

“Agent Barton, are you aware that deadly force would have been permitted to capture Wilson?” Maria asked seeming significantly less impressed than expected. “Perhaps simply say ‘it’s not for me’ rather than accusing your teammate of trying to kill you next time!”

Clint props himself up on his elbow to consider it. 

“‘M nah,” Clint decides. “Have you tried that poison?”

Maria rolls her eyes. “If you must know, yes. And I happen to like them.”

Clint knows there is only one cause for this: “It’s a cult, Coulson.” He swings his eyes up to look urgently at Phil. 

Phil’s lips were drawn up and he is back to his robotic demeanor. “Wilson intentionally hurt me, sir.” Clint insists, “It wasn’t even sweet, at all.”

“I should’ve known you had the taste buds of a ten year old.” Sam snaps. “And those parting words for Bucky? I’m pretty sure those were Bruno Mars lyrics.”

Clint rests a hand over his heart in offense. The taste of his near-demise is fading. The strength sapped away by the vile substance is slowly returning to him as he rises to his knees. 

“How dare you. Just wait until Nat hears about what you did.” Clint pauses, then adds. “No, I’m going to tell Bucky first.”

Sam annoyance shifts over to unease. Good. Wilson deserved to suffer, just as he had made Clint. 

“Don’t be dramatic.”

Clint is already diving out the door. 

He skittersinto the training room with Wilson hot on his heels, out of breath but otherwise fine. “Dude!” Sam crows. “Let’s talk about this like adults.”

Steve is spotting Bucky as he heaves up far too much weight though they paused at their arrival.

“Hey,” Steve managed before Clint pants, 

“Sam tried to kill me, Bucky!”

“I gave him what he asked for,” Sam counters immediately. “Steve, back me up here.”

The weights settle heavily and Bucky gets to his feet. Clint can take care of himself perfectly fine but there is something appealing about having a man so willing to fight for you. The arm whirls dramatically as Bucky flexes his fingers, dark eyes trained on Sam. Chestnut hair is tossed from Bucky’s face, just barely sheeting with sweat. Sam swallows and looks around his bulk to where Steve seems to be trying to piece everything together. 

“You look fine,” Steve says finally. “What happened exactly?”

“He betrayed my trust. He offered me a soda that wasn’t a soda. It was fucking battery acid.”

“What? No! They’re not even comparable, Barton. I said ‘sparkling beverage’ anyway.” Sam snaps. “It was a La Croix.”

“Oh! Wild cherry?” Steve asks, “Those are the best!”

Clint stomach plummets as he turns his look of horror on Bucky. 

“Holy shit, they’ve managed to corrupt Captain America too.”

**Author's Note:**

> inspiration for this came from trying a la croix. 
> 
> they are literally the worst. 
> 
> i hope you enjoyed!


End file.
